It was almost an incredibly disappointing Sunday afternoon in the 3rd game against Baltimore. Results are what matter most though, and neither a blown 4-run lead nor going into the bottom of the 9th losing could dampen the Angels’ spirits this 4th of July as the Angels swept the worst team in the American League right out of Anaheim.
But before Aaron Slegers gutpunched fans and the bottom of the lineup kissed our booboos, Angels fans were treated to phenomenal news as Shohei Ohtani was selected to the All-Star Game again, making him the first player to be sent twice in one year, let alone as both a position player and pitcher. Still better was that Jared Walsh earned enough player votes to make it in as a reserve, a much deserved selection for the 5th best position player in the American League by both Win Probability Added and SLG.
While this news was still hot and fresh, warming all of our hearts, Patrick Sandoval was pulled for Slegers after leaving two runners on in the top of the 6th. 3 hard hit balls later and it was now 4-3 with 1 out. Andrew Wantz made his major league debut to mitigate the damage. He would be saddled with his first Blown Save a bit unfairly as he allowed a bloop single, but he did give 1.2 innings with 2 K’s.
Some people felt pretty bad for Sandoval, but he absolutely made his own bed and then was made to lie in it. In the first inning, he threw 35 pitches as he walked 3 batters. A shaky start to the 2nd was erased by an induced double play ball when he began to figure things out, but almost 50 pitches at that point is not what you want. Blame Joe, blame Slegers, blame an overeagerness to watch some fireworks, but he didn’t help himself. When he exited, he had 5 walks allowed and 7 strikeouts.
Fortunately, the offense was not dead. Walsh-Star and Phil Gosselin combined for 2 RBIs and Shohei Ohtani and Anthony Rendon each hit solo shots in the 3rd. Ohtani’s tied him with Hideki Matsui for the most by a Japanese player in a season and, by extension, also the most before the All-Star Break.
Tony Toe-Injury Two-Bags would later be pulled alongside Taylor Ward. We will look forward to his August resurgence.
Raisel Iglesias pitched the 9th inning again. I know I personally threw my hands to my head and pulled my hair when he allowed his first baserunner, hit, run, RBI, and home run to Cedric Mullins in quite some time.
But Jose Iglesias, Kurt Suzuki, and Jose Rojas were not about to be the reason we lost. Bases loaded and no outs, the Orioles had us right where they wanted us: winning in walk-off fashion as they try oh so hard to be the number one pick.
The Boston Red Sox are in town next with some fun arms on the mound.
how popular is Ohtani? Watching videos of his homerun at-bat I saw one with over 700,000 views, another with over 200,000.
That includes views from Japan, which mostly exclusively watches them
He had 30 HRs and 10 stolen bags in his team’s first 81 games: never been done in AL history. (Albert had 30/10 in 81 for the Cardinals in 2009.)
It seems within the realm of possibility that Ohtani could have 34 or 35 HRs by the All Star Break. (With his next HR he’ll obliterate Hideki Matsui’s record for most MLB HRs by a Japanese-born player. Matsui needed an entire season to get 31.)
Record for most HRs at AS Break: that roided-out freak with the Giant head: 39.
Also: Ohtani-san has 12 starts, with performance all over the place. To my mind, he still hasn’t demonstrated consistency on the mound. Can it be humanly done in this day and age? Can he put together, say, 4 straight starts of 7+ innings, less than 3 ERs per game, 40+Ks over those 4 and less than 4 walks per game? If he does…it would make Babe Ruth look like a pretender in comparison, assuming he’s still hitting like he has been so far this year. There have been flashes of stunning brilliance on the mound, but…yea. So far it’s been Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride when he pitches.
Just think if he played on a team with good pitching, and with a healthy Trout either protecting him or Ohtani protecting Trout…(yea, but the Angels don’t have pitching and the fielding kinda blows, too…)
Will he end up with 50+ HRs and 20+ SBs? With 10 wins and 160 Ks? Maybe, but only if he doesn’t get injured. (If he does all this, how can he not win MVP, even if the Angels suck and don’t make the playoffs?)
Trout had 30 HRs before the AS break a few years ago and looked like a cinch to break Troy Glaus’s Angels record for most HRs in a season (47), but you all know about Trout and August injury(ies).
If he keeps up even a semblance of his offensive output and in addition improves just a little on the mound we will probably be witnessing the single greatest season ever in MLB history. I don’t think this is hyperbole. Let me be clear, he is not there yet. But this is possibly in the making. We could be watching this happen.
For this reason alone, if he continues even somewhat on this pace then he not only has to win MVP but he should be a unanimous MVP regardless of what record the Angels finish with.
Attending a sweep was nice
and so it begins……..nothing to see hear, move along.
https://twitter.com/JeffFletcherOCR/status/1411832733718876160?s=20
Translation: they probably both died
Not yet. That comes after the day to day, shouldn’t need the IL, go on IL, need more time than the 10 IL, many more days pass, then they tragically die.
Twebs, You are definitely right on, But I like Manatee’s response better, because I’m too busy and don’t have time for all that pregame bullshit.
Angel injury list porn is addictive…..it’s a struggle.
Well, Rendon can always go back to the CA State Assembly….
Friendly Reminder:
T-minus 13 days until MNT is eligible to play again.
so you think, and belive
😪
Wasn’t a certain Left Fielder supposed to play this weekend.
You know, I’d be happy with all the front office smoke and mirrors on injuries if they JUST got Trout’s correct.
Yeah, why in the hell is a strained calf talking this damn long?
Being cautious is one thing but this is ridiculous….
Sooo the Angels go to Oakland three times in a span of about 45 days? That makes total sense to me.
All I ask is they hire someone who knows the BART schedule like the back of their hand.
DRIVE HOME SAFELY!!!!
Cops will be out in force tonight.
I was quoting Victor’s walk-off call.
I know. But double meaning on the holiday 😊
I saw plenty of them … and i DID drive home safely. Thanks for the advice
Anybody still keeping track of the “above the yellow line” right field HR’s this year? We almost lost the game because of one today.
Oh no! Tony is injured. Again.
even if it is minor, it will be another 3 weeks for him to get his swing back again.
Great day at the yard. We’ll outside the sixth inning.
Happy Independence Day all!
Against Chowds, scheduled to start:
-Suarez
-Shohei
-Hean-Dawg
I see us winning at least ONE of those.
I’m gonna take a wild guess which one you think is the likely W.
If you guessed Suarez, you win this beautiful Amana side-by-side sectional radar range, meat locker and dinette set.
You know we are due again for Good Heaney to show up.
Yes!
…We just hope it’s not until August 17th or some day when we’re declared officially out of it.
Well we swept the O’s. We are over .500. Damn shame none of it counts because the O’s aren’t a good team. I tried to explain to my Doyer fan co-worker that the Dodgers’ record is not actually very good because they have been feasting on crap teams and are under .500 against good teams…. he just looked confused.
Maybe if we sweep the Red Sox and A’ss we can be above actual legitimate celebratable .500. That would be nice.
If only we could play in the Lake Wobegon League, where all teams are above .500; then we’d know we’re fer reals, no matter who we beat.
BREAKING: Joey Chestnut Breaks Own Record at Nathan’s:
76 hot dogs in 10 minutes.
Gastroenterologists are in a bidding war to get him as a patient. This should be a real “dog” fight. Get it?
The only sport where i’d understand weed being listed as a PED
Aye!
BTW: are you as hot on Sha’Carri as I am? I know she plays for you guys, but still.
Also: my gawd, what an asinine rule she broke.
and it’s legal here!
“Here” being Oregon for you (where she baked after a REPORTER told her her mom had died); HERE in CA, too. It’s amazing how backward the IOC is on this issue.
It may not be a rule I agree with, but still, if I know I will be tested for a drug soon, and that if I fail that test I will be suspended, and that that suspension will cover the time period of the Olympics…. gee, maybe even if I don’t agree with the rule, plus I am super sad, I’ll still not smoke weed because I don’t want to risk being able to run in the Olympics.
Now, if they let her run, she is an extra special snowflake and anyone else who has ever faced this penalty will have legitimate beef with the IOC letting her run but suspending them.
But f*** it. Personal responsibility and knowingly flaunting the consequences of our actions should totally go out the window if we are currently feeling strong emotions right? “Your honor, I was very upset… and Twitter is aflame with people who support me.” The most legitimate defense evah.
Yeah, I thought POTUS had a take I agree with:
“The rules are the rules and everybody knows what the rules were going in,” Biden said. “Whether they should remain the rules is a different issue, but the rules are the rules.”
Pretty much. All that’s missing is “Them’s the breaks.”
Outdated dumb rule……reality probably is she F’d up cheating on her test. Facts are athletes smoke weed and most successfully cheat the testing, just like all of the other drugs they are taking. It’s the only way to explain the failed tests, they know the schedule, they have people that help them navigate the rules….
free Bob Marley, free Ben Harper, let them burn one down.
But what if they bring in signatures from a Change.org petition? They have to cave for that.
The “I” in IOC is for international. Lot’s of countries outside of the USA helped make these rules with the USA taking part in making them.
Just because things are done one way here does not mean it is automatically the same in other places.
Years ago, a Japanese entertainer vacationed in Hawaii, and sparked up some bud. Paparazzi got some photos of party time in paradise, and gave them to 5-O Tokyo. When that entertainer returned to Japan they held the entertainer for questioning. They could not get any confession out of the entertainer, so performed a blood test, and it came up possitive, and an automatic sentence was placed on the entertainer for possession and use. Marijuana was never found on the entertainer in Japan.
Different rules in different places, and the Olympics are being held, I don’t know why, in Japan this year.
This just in: Jack Mayfield pulled form the Bees starting lineup in OKC.
😭 Sorry Guys 😭
You just trying to kill our Vibes?
I don’t make em up pally
so is Rendon on the IL now?
Suspicious. Bummer if that’s the case, dude can’t catch a break in an Autozone.
Who hurt you Cowboy?
We vacuumed the Orioles!
And with no motor(Trout)
Stayed at the Marriott Buttes yesterday (hotel attached to Tempe Diablo). Room view was the stadium…. Hotel pool was awesome and would love to go back when it’s not 105
Degrees out. Anyways, thanks O’s for sweeping the Astr*s and then come to Anaheim and get swept!
Hate to break it to ya, Brent, but it 105 is a cold day there.
About 30 years ago, my parents were in Phoenix visiting on the day they had to close the airport because it was too hot for performance charts showing takeoff weights for airliners. My mom opened the car door on a freshly laid asphalt parking lot and about fainted from the heat.
Everyone enjoy the festivities tonight where ever you may be and Happy 4th of July.
5.5 games out of the wild card, I may have declared the season over a little prematurely.
Maybe not, but the RED SOX are coming in so there’s that.
Charging a fellow fan(atic) with “bandwagoning” is a classic insult, and one I find kinda low.
Nonetheless: if we sweep the Chowds, I’m back up on that bandwagon, leading the cheers, bullhorn on loud, and glad-handing like there’s no tomorrow.
Finally: having said that: I ain’t-a-holdin’ muh breath.
Of course you set an impossible threshold for your rejoining.
A sweep of the best team (record wise) in the AL is highly unlikely.
But if we win the series somehow that would be a noteworthy achievement.
Not impossible. Just highly unlikely.
Oh hell, I’ll come out of the closet: I’ve been on the bandwagon since 1971.
There, it’s on the record. I’m a Forever Bandwagoner.
So you been a Fansince1971
Double Thumbs up 👍👍
Have you ever seen both of us in the same room?
Or…just hang with me here…it could be that the Angels have not only two, but an official “CRAPLOAD” of olde dudes as fans.
I was with my mom and had cotton candy in my hand at the LA Zoo, with a transistor radio, the day Clyde Wright pitched a no-hitter against the A’s. Hot day. July 3rd, 1970. First no-no at Anaheim Stadium. I learned it’s real difficult to pitch a no-hitter. I began collecting Topps cards like a demon then, too.
The next season, I was really into the Angels. Fansince1971 probably has similar memories.
My gawd: I remember when Clyde’s son made the majors. He was pretty good for awhile, then retired. That was a long time ago. Or feels like it.
I am as old as dirt, friends.
MikeSalmon and I are definitely different people, but likely very similar in our Angels formative experiences. It took a particular kind of kid to become an Angels (and not a Dodger fan) in the 70s. Long term Angels fans are loyal and generally optimistic despite having gone through disappointment after disappointment. We are realistic but incredibly hopeful – we have supported the underdog our whole lives. This is no bandwagon-type loyalty. It’s a deep love and appreciation for a team despite its considerable warts. In other words, a true Angels fan from the 60s or 70s is not a typical sports fan from OC as you see them today. The long term Angels fan tends to be incredibly loyal and remain so season-after-season even if the team is disappointing. So ‘bandwaggoning’ does not apply.
Thus, while Mike and I are different people and have never met, I’m pretty sure I know and like him.
Another geezer here. Formative years (through age 10) were behind the Orange Curtain (Santa Ana). By then I was solidly a Halos fan. After we moved to LA, my sister switched to the Landgrabbers, but I remained faithful.
Back on the Wagon?
Jump on there’s plenty of room!
So, are you back?
Until we get swept by Boston, anyway,
Hey Baltimore…..
I miss him soooo much :/
One of a kind.
There’s a video on youtube of Robin and Stephen Fry on a British talk show together. Oh holy crap is that amazing.
Nice Sweep. Just need pitching.
Pitching is doing better, just don’t let Sluggy ever pitch for us again and give D-cell a day off once in awhile…that would help.
Who’s D-Cell?
I’ve been wondering that to.
Ps: Do you think we can get an explanation for the 3rd time today?
it’s a rhyme with no reason. D-Cell – Rye-Cell … Raisel.
I thought it was Because he is the #1 Trusted option out of the pen.
I’m really happy for Lagares. The guy has been putting really good swings on the ball without anything to show for it, really cool for him to smoke that ball against a drawn in outfield for the walk off.